WWE is squandering two of John Cena’s final gifts By Joseph Staszewski Published Sep. 28, 2026, 8:00 a.m. ET John Cena acknowledges the ring announcer during Monday Night RAW at Mass Mutual Center on September 15, 2025 in Springfield, Massachusetts. WWE via Getty Images WWE is wasting the effects of the final John Cena rub to two of its biggest recipients, Dominik Mysterio and Gunther.
It’s been more than nine months since Gunther, the hand-picked opponent by WWE for its “Greatest of All Time,” made Cena tap out in the final match of his legendary career. Gunther was getting booed loudly out of buildings with tremendous heat after one of the most significant non-championship wins by any heel ever in the ultimate transfer of cachet. He made a superhero whose motto is “never give up” do just that.
Gunther got off to a fine start by retiring A.J. Styles at the Royal Rumble and beating Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. That’s when things started to go sideways for the Ring General. He lost to Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes at Clash in Italy. He made Sami Zayn a special guest referee and lost to Rhodes again after Zayn screwed him on SmackDown and then watched Zayn pin Rhodes in a triple-threat match at Night of Champions to become WWE champion before him. He couldn’t even win a tag match teaming with Zayn against Rhodes and CM Punk at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
